Objective: This prospective clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effect of early vs late enteral feeding after GIT surgery on neonatal outcome after surgery, weight gain, length of hospital stay (LOHS), time to reach full enteral feeding (FEF), time to first stool passage, sepsis, surgical site infection (SSI) and electrolyte disturbances. Methods: The study conducted at Assiut University Children Hospital during the period from 1st of July 2021 to the end of June 2022 and included 84 neonates who were undergoing GIT surgery. The study included 2 groups: group A who started enteral feeding (EF) within 2 days postoperative and group B who started EF after 2 days postoperative according to clinician discretion based on the clinical progress. Results: Tolerance was higher among neonates in group A (P=0.030). The LOHS at the post-operative time was shorter among neonates in group A compared to group II (P<0.001). The development of sepsis was significantly higher among neonates in group B compared to group A (P<0.001). During the follow up period of the studied participants, 18 cases died with total mortality rate of (18/84, 21.4%); among them 2/18 (11.1%) from neonates in group A versus 16/18 (88.9%) from neonates in group B with a highly significant difference between both studied groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: Early enteral feeding (EEF) in neonates within 2 days following gastrointestinal tract surgeries is beneficial in reducing the length of hospital stay (LOHS), sepsis and mortality. Also it improved weight gain at time of discharge and decreased risk of post-operative complications as anastomotic site leak.
Rezk et al. (Mon,) studied this question.